As regulatory bodies, ABC agencies have the potential to be a particularly effective prevention partner in reducing underage access to alcohol as well as high risk drinking by college students. The right laws and regulations can minimize opportunities for young people to use alcohol and maximize the opportunities for effective enforcement and prevention. (Regulatory Strategies for Preventing Youth Access to Alcohol, Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, Rockville, Maryland, 1999).
Today, ABCs, whether in control or licensed states, are engaged in a variety of programs to carry out these mandates. ABC sponsored programs, in addition to sales and/or licensure and enforcement, include education for consumers and retailers; oversight of server training; involvement in statewide and local responsible beverage servers coalitions; grant making to encourage participation by local law enforcement; local coalitions and other interested organizations in prevention, development and dissemination of information and materials; and development and conducting of school awareness programs. As a result of this increasing activism, ABCs are being recognized by researchers, local, national and state activists, and organizations as an effective and logical partner in prevention of underage drinking and alcohol abuse. As a result, ABCs are attracting grant funding from national sources such as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention in the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Department of Education, and other private and public funding sources to address alcohol-related problems in their respective states.
Control States control the sale of distilled spirits and, in some cases, wine through government agencies at the wholesale level. Twelve of the jurisdictions also exercise control over retail sales for off-premise consumption, either through government-operated package stores or designated outlets. Eighteen states (and Montgomery County in Maryland) are known as control jurisdictions. They are: